New World screwworm spreads to Texas wildlife, raising outbreak concerns
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A poster with information on the New World Screwworm is displayed during a press conference with government officials in Austin, Texas. Photo: Joel Angel Juarez/Getty Images
Federal and Texas officials confirmed Wednesday the first known case of the New World screwworm parasite in U.S. wildlife during the current outbreak.
Why it matters: The discovery raises new questions about whether the flesh-eating parasite is spreading beyond livestock.
- Cattle were infected by the screwworm earlier this year in Texas and New Mexico, prompting an extensive federal response to contain its spread.
- The detection in a wild animal adds another challenge for officials trying to determine how widely the parasite has spread.
Driving the news: The parasite was detected in a female elk in Pecos County, Texas, according to statements from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).
- Officials urged hunters, landowners and outdoor enthusiasts to check for signs of infestation in wildlife, including visible larvae, open wounds and animals exhibiting unusual weakness or distress and to report anything suspicious to local wildlife biologists.
Flashback: New World screwworm was previously detected in deer in the Florida Keys in 2016, during an outbreak that was eradicated the following year.
The big picture: New World screwworm larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, posing a serious threat to livestock, wildlife and pets.
- The U.S. cattle industry is already struggling with tight supplies, while the Trump administration has sought to ease beef prices through additional imports.
What they're saying: "We encourage all hunters and landowners to be vigilant for signs of New World screwworm while they are out in the field this season," said Alan Cain, Texas wildlife division director, in a statement.
- "The partnership between TPWD biologists and local hunters and landowners expedited the identification and confirmation of this new detection."
Flashback: A New World screwworm case was detected in a person in Maryland who returned to the U.S. after traveling to El Salvador in August last year.
- Health officials noted the risk to public health in the U.S. from the case was "very low."
What to watch: Whether additional wildlife cases are detected as officials expand surveillance in Texas.
